COSAFA development skills away from the pitch

24 July 2019 – COSAFA has a history of leaving a legacy wherever it stages tournaments and this year will be no different for the Nelson Mandela Bay, which plays host to both the 2019 COSAFA Women’s Championship and inaugural COSAFA Women’s Under-20 Championship.

The tournaments are not just a platform for players and coaches to showcase their ability, but also match officials and administrators, who can hone their skills and gain some vital experience.

COSAFA will this year be hosting four workshops before and during the tournaments, aimed at providing local coaches, match officials and administrators with the tools and qualifications to take their careers further.

Here is a rundown of the events:

FEMALE REFEREES COURSEThis five-day course will be conducted by Kari Seitz, who is Head of the Female Referees Department at FIFA.
American Seitz worked at four FIFA Women’s World Cups (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011), as well as at four Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016), and is the only referee, male or female, to complete this feat.
The 49-year-old retired from refereeing in 2013 after a 28-year career.

D-LICENSE FOR FEMALE COACHESThe four-day course will be the first step for aspiring female coaches on the path to becoming fully-fledged tacticians and will be conducted by SAFA Coaching Instructor and CAF A License holder Zunaid Mall.
The four-day course will introduce the participants to coaching and after receiving their certificates, they will then be able to advance to the next stage.

EMERGENCY MEDICINEProf Efraim Kramer, who presided over all the medical and anti-doping operations at the World Cup in 2018 as FIFA’s Tournament Medical Officer, will conduct this essential course for local medics.
South African Kramer, who is also Head of the Division of Emergency Medicine at Wits University, will take participants through what could happen at a stadium during a match, and how to react to these emergencies.

ADMINISTRATION & GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPThe course for administrators will be run by former FIFA development officer Ashford Mamelodi, providing those present with insights into how to effectively stage events to global standards.
Mamelodi has a wealth of experience in this regard and takes participants through the requirements of staging major events and of being an effective administrator to make the best use of resources.